Lavar Batts becomes latest NC State basketball transfer

The freshman guard played only 23 minutes over the Wolfpack's final seven games last season

Lavar Batts Jr. chases a loose ball in a game against Charleston Southern last season . (Eamon Queeney / North State Journal)

The extreme makeover of NC State’s basketball roster continued Monday with the announcement that Lavar Batts Jr. has been granted his release so that he can pursue a transfer to another school.

Batts, a former four-star prospect who averaged 3.7 points and 1.5 assists in just over 13 minutes per game as a freshman last season, is the fourth player to leave the Wolfpack program since the hiring of coach Kevin Keatts — joining center Omer Yurtseven, Darius Hicks and Sean Kirk as transfers. State could also potentially lose forward Torin Dorn if he decides to stay in the NBA Draft.

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A 6-foot-3 combo guard from Concord, Batts originally committed to VCU, but he decided to sign with State after coach Will Wade left for LSU.

His addition helped Keatts fill a need of guards after one-time Wolfpack recruit Thomas Allen was released from his letter of intent and Terry Henderson was denied a medical hardship by the NCAA. Three months later, State added another point guard, Braxton Beverly, to its roster.

Batts played a total of only 23 minutes in the Wolfpack’s final seven games in 2017-18.

With both Beverly and fellow starter Markell Johnson returning, and transfers C.J. Bryce, Devon Daniels and Blake Harris becoming eligible after sitting out last season, Batts likely saw himself as the odd man out of a now-crowded backcourt rotation.

He has not given an indication as to where he might transfer.

  Here is the list of state players that have either declared for the draft or announced their decision to transfer:

DRAFT

Marvin Bagley III, Duke

Trevon Duval, Duke

Gary Trent, Jr., Duke

Wendell Carter, Jr., Duke

Doral Moore, Wake Forest

Bryant Crawford, Wake Forest*

Chris Clemons, Campbell*

Jerome Robinson (Raleigh), Boston College

Ky Bowman (Havelock), Boston College*

*–has not hired an agent

TRANSFER

Omer Yurtseven, NC State (to Georgetown)

Lavar Batts Jr., NC State

Shaun Kirk, NC State (to UNC Pembroke)

Spencer Newman, NC State

Darius Hicks, NC State (to Eastern Kentucky)

Keyshawn Woods, Wake Forest (to Ohio State)

Donovan Mitchell, Wake Forest

Rich Washington, Wake Forest

Sam Japhet-Mathias, Wake Forest  (to San Jose State)

Jalek Felton, UNC

Jordan Tucker, Duke (to Butler)

Raquan Wilkins, ECU

JaQuel Richmond, UNCW

MaCio Teague, UNCA (to Baylor)

Zach Cottrell, Appalachian State

Marcus Burk, Campbell (to UIPUI)

Damontez Oliver, Campbell

Wyatt Self, Campbell

Andre Fox, High Point

Luke Vargo, High Point

Jamal Wright, High Point

Brandon Goldsmith, NC Central

Alston Jones, NC Central

Alex Mills, NC Central

C.J. Wiggins, NC Central

Kwei Lartney, NC A&T

Femi Olujobi, NC A&T (to DePaul)

Raymon Pratt, NC A&T